NHER 42674 (Monument record) - Bronze Age barrow and other features at the Former Radar Site, RAF Watton

November-December 2005. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of proposed development site. Contexts 101-2401.
The discovery of a Bronze Age round barrow with a central cremation urn, together with a possible associated inhumation (of uncertain date, possibly prehistoric based on very limited pottery evidence) may give a context for the hoard of prehistoric socketed axes discovered nearby in 1958 (NHER 8777).
In addition to the barrow and burial remains, a Bronze Age ditch containing fragments of a bucket urn was found in one trench. A northern continuation of this ditch, or at least its alignment, was suggested by continuation of this ditch, or at least its alignment, was suggested by features in other trenches.
A few undated features were recorded.
Post-medieval plough furrows were also observed and a pillbox of World War Two date.
See report (S1) for further details. The results of this work are also summarised in (S2).
J. Allen (NLA) 12 February 2007.

November-December 2010. Excavation.
Excavation of two areas prior to development.
The northern area targeted a feature located during the 2005 evaluation, which was found to be an oval pit 1.6m long and 0.7m deep. No other features were present in this area.
The southern area was centred on the previously identified barrow, which was found to have an internal diameter of 6.5m and a ditch 1-1.3m wide and typically 0.45m deep. At the centre of the barrow was a cremation burial which was removed during an earlier phase of excavation (see above). A further four un-urned cremation burials were revealed in the northern area of the barrow grouped into pairs. A single sherd of Early Bronze Age pottery was recovered from the fill of one cremation. A fifth un-urned cremation burial was located a short distance to the south-east. A number of pits with three containing Early Bronze Age pottery were located within the area. A line of three undated postholes aligned south-east to north-west was revealed in the south-east corner of the area. A crouched inhumation burial of an adult male was located 7m to the south-west of the barrow and contained pottery of probable Roman date within the fill of grave. 28 pieces of worked flint including flakes, blades, a retouched flake and pieces of debitage were also recovered from the Early Bronze Age and Roman contexts.
See assessment report (S3) for further details. See also newspaper article (S4) and summary in (S5).
S. Howard (HES), 18 August 2011.